Before the fall
by Tazwalker
Summary: ever wondered how Scud came to be who he is, what he is and where he is? i did and this is my take on it. header-pic credit to tracy. rate M for language and violence
1. Life stepping ahead 1

Life stepping ahead

They say your life flashes by in the moment of death. Scud found it to be different. In fact, it moon-walked with the speed of a snail on crutches. Like a ray of light captured by a prism, sparkling each memory into a different direction, all at the same time. The intensity made him squint, the bright light hurting his eyes, causing the urge to sneeze. Which was ridiculous in this situation.

Made him almost laugh. It was hard to focus on just one because the pain darting through his body distracted him almost to much. But just almost. In the blink of an eye, he found himself back where it all had started. Once upon a time. Back in the day. When the dead see was still alive and gumboots still made from wood. Three years before he ended up in this bloody mess.

"Jooooosh! Time to gooooooohooooo!" The cheerful, girly voice from outside startled him that much that he tripped and fell while trying to put his baggy pants on. Luckily, he fell right back into the bed he had just scooped himself out of. Yeah, he was late as always. A pillow in his face, he managed to get his pants on and closed, put some shoes on and grabbed the car keys. Lacey stood next to his car, waiting. "Josh, hurry. I don't wanna be late for school again" His eyes barely open, a coffee short of being anything less than a vampire, he climbed behind the wheel. Traffic was ok-ish this morning so he managed to get Lacey to school 5 minutes before the first bell rang. "Josh, did you hear me?" Slap!

"Hey! What did I say 'bout slappin' my head like that?!" She grinned cheekily "You're half asleep" her tone was playfully mocking. "What else is new?" "I said Mom and Dad expect you to come over today." Trying to hide is displeasure, he got a cigarette out of his pocket and put it into his mouth but didn't light it up "Sure. Gonna get there after work" "Ok. Good. Mom is worried about you, you know. And so am I." Smiling, he leaned over and hugged his baby sister "No need to be. All good" "I hope. Thanks for the lift. And remember, if they ask, i've been at Miranda's this night" "Uh-hu. Hope that dude treated you right or i'll come find him and rip his guts out" Facing him, Lacey smiled a radiant smile and Josh knew he didn't have to worry. But he still did. 16 or not, this was his little sister and even if he was a total punk, no men would treat any women bad when he was around. Especially not Lacey. The school bell broke the tender moment and she ran to be on time.

Of course he'd lie to her to his parents. Wasn't like they didn't expect him to do that. Now finally putting a lighter to his drug of choice, he put the car in gear. Time to work. Driving on autopilot, he mentally mapped out the work he had to do today. There was this old Chevy, coughing everytime you tried the ignition before she flooded. Easy, probably was the cylinder head casket or simply a spark plug. A little more difficult was the red Queen that had come in yesterday. A real treasure, a pin-up girl under all the models. An old Shelby GT500. Ever since the movie "Gone in 60 seconds", those beauties had a real revival, even got a new series built but there was no comparison to the original. And like a ladies of class, this sin wouldn't give up her secrets to easy. Josh was sure about that. So when he parked at the garage, he was determined to get into that pants, so to speak.

"Morning, Scud!" his boss called from the office. Leaning in the door frame, Scud stopped, rolling up his sleeves "Mornin' boss. Gonna get to the two busty ladies today. Or got anything else?" "Yeah. Go and help Nicky. Got a Charger in and the dude owning it is kinda scary. Want that done ASAP." "Got it" With a nod, Scud went to his friend who got him the job here. Went without saying that he'd give him two hands whenever needed. It was nothing for Nicky but for Scud having this job was a god-sent gift. "Yo, Nick. Whatcha want me to do?" "Yo, dog" Nick called from underneath the car. "Injection's kinda fucked and the turbo charger system gives me headaches. Mind checking the latter?" "Done"

Nicky had been his only friend during high school and after Scud had involuntary dropped out of said school, amongst other things, Nick had provided shelter and this job. A life-safer as it had turned out. With his natural talent of fixing things, the boss had come to like Scud really fast, willing to deal with his sporadic escapades. The garage had the reputation to be able to fix anything and everything and Scud fit in perfectly. That stable job and the feeling to be needed provided the stability Scud had missed almost his entire life. The money was good and so his stay on Nick's couch had been a brief one. All in all, life was good. If only he didn't have too..."Scud. You stoned already? Whatcha starin' holes into the air?" Nick stood next to him, an eyebrow up. "Sorry, man. Lace told me to get over to my parents today. Got a bad feelin' about that" Nodding knowingly, Nick grabbed another tool and disappeared underneath the car again while Scud all but dived into the engine. The muffled voice still reached Scud's ear just fine. "Did she say what they want?" "No clue. Don't mind seeing Mom but..." the sentence got lost in nothingness and Nick didn't bother to ask. He knew all about it and felt sad for his friend.

Josh Frohmeyer had been a smart but incredibly bored student. Totally unchallenged by the tasks given in his classes, he rebelled like the teenager he was. At heart, he was a good guy, doing the homework for Nicky on the fly but his own he never did. Disappearing during school time, he hung out with scapegraces around town, getting busted for smoking pot. He'd been lucky to get away with a warning from the police. But the police was the lesser of two evils. It didn't take a psychology major to know the reasons behind his behavior, as Nick's mom had one pointed out. Scud was a regular guest at the Walsh's house and Mrs Walsh was anything but blind. She noticed how he jerked when she touched him on his shoulder. And his excuses for all the black and blue marks he didn't bother to hide where just that: excuses.

One night, when Scud had come knocking on the door once again, sporting a nice new shiner, Mister and Misses Walsh had silently discussed the possibilities of brining the authorities in without getting the boy into more trouble. And they had tried. The outcome was bad. CPS had paid the Frohmeyers a visit but evidently found nothing. Or Mr Frohmeyer had found away to talk himself out of the charges. One way or another, Scud hadn't been seen in school or around town for over a week and that was the final step into being kicked outta school. Shame because it had only been weeks before the finals. Some time after, a wet and tired looking Scud had stood infront the door once again, this time with a backpack full of clothes and Mrs Walsh had done what's been right.

Ever since that time, Scud had been by himself. Turned out being thrown out was a good thing. At least for his sister. With him gone, Dad had calmed down a lot. Not that he ever hurt the ladies in the house, just screaming at them when he was drunk. But having seen his wife scared to death after Scud had run away, Daddy Frohmeyer apparently had thought his behavior over and got better. A little. This had happened almost ten years ago.

Scud and Nick managed to get the Charger done at lunchtime. "Gonna get some food, boss!" Scud called and walked outside. Just down the street was a little diner. His collagues went along with him but instead of going inside with them, Scud stopped outside to finish his cigarette. Seemingly random, he walked up and down before the diner and no one but Nick knew the truth. Mentally facing what would wash over him this night, Scud stepped behind the diner. Greeting the dealer with a slight nod, he held his hand out as if wanting to shake the other mans, he passed on the money. No word was spoken and in a fluent movement, Scud walked by and the man gave him what appeared to be a playful nudge in his side. The pot in his pocket, Scud went for food.


	2. life stepping ahead 2

The sun had already set when Scud walked up the stairs onto the porch to his parents house. The pot cycling his system had the calming effect as planned. Still, he hesitated to knock. Unfortunately his mother's sixth sense had kicked in and she opened the door. "Josh!" Smiling like the rising sun, she embraced her son and he hugged her back. Feeling her shoulder blades sticking out, he worried about her. Her eyes still sparked with life but she felt thin as paper. "Mom. Good to see you" Taking a step back, he cupped his face with her hands and measured him like mom's do. "You need a haircut" she winked and he smiled at her usual joke. Taking him by the hand, she pulled him inside. The clacking of porcelain told him that dinner was either served right now or just over. He hoped for the latter. But no such luck. Lacey just put down a fourth plate, Dad already sitting on the head of the table. "Come, Josh, eat with us!" Making him sit down, Josh hugged his sister sitting next to him. His father eyed him. "Son." Nodding, he faced his already filled plate and started eating. "So, Josh, what's new?" "Nothing much, mom. Work's the usual." "And the women?" "Mom, please" As usual, his mom was worried he'd be alone for the rest of his life. Dad just huffed in fake amusement. "Only a hooker would want to be with someone like him. And he can't afford that. Can you?"

He winked at Josh but the menace beneath the smile, rooted deep in his eyes gave away the seriousness of the words. "Not true. My friend Lindsey thinks you're pretty hot!" Lacey chirped and nudged him with her elbow. Having to snort, he almost chocked on his smashed potatoes "Yeah, right. Just what pedophile me wants" "Josh!" but even his mom had to laugh. She covered her mouth in a ladylike way and Josh could very well imagine the impressive lady she once had been. But the time with her father had taken its tool on her. Still, seeing her laugh like that made his heart jump.

The rest of the dinner was just him, Lace and Mom talking about nothing and anything. Dad was silent, eating away with not much enthusiasm. After the plates where removed from the table, Lacey excused herself. "I got a date!" she was excited. Their parents didn't seem to care much. Funny, that felt familiar. Ok, it was Friday night but she was sixteen. Shouldn't good parents at least ask with whom and where they were going? Well, they hadn't bothered much about Josh back in the day either. No wait, they had bothered at the beginning. Later is was just another reason to beat him up. And Mom? Eyeing her, he saw her looking after her daughter as she disappeared upstairs. Ok, she seemed to care in the way she cared back in the day. Silent, afraid to say anything. Nothing had changed.

Taking a heart, Josh spoke up. "So, was there anything special you wanted to talk to me about?" "Can't a mother have her soon over without a special occasion?" Her words sounded innocent enough but the strain way audible. "Stop it, Bethany! You up-to-no-good-son knows EXCACTLY what this is about!" His father had gotten up from his armchair infront the TV and his demeanor was just as Scud remembered. "Do you really think we are that stupid, SON?!" He made the word son sound like a curse. "I can smell those dirty drugs on you! Don't you dare taking your sister down your filthy road or I will end you, do you hear me?" Without having noticed, Scud had backed up.

But he recovered quickly and took a step forward again, facing his father. "What the fuck are you talking about? I've done nothing but playing her chauffeur!" The two men stood chest to chest and the only thing that stopped this from escalating was Lacey. "Dad, back up!" Dressed in a nice, light summer dress, her long blond hair open, she looked a lot older. Funny enough, Dad seemed to listened to her. "Josh has done nothing but being there for me. And I don't do drugs, you know" Stepping between the two men, she played her 'daddys little girl- card' rather well. Nodding, he stepped back and sat down in his chair like nothing happened. On her way to the door, Lacey patted Scud's shoulder "I'm gonna be back at midnight. Going to the Black Moon with Miranda. See you!" It was beyond Scud how she was able to take these escalations that lightly. Then again, she'd been but a toddler when it had been really bad so the real extend to this might still be unknown to her. The door closed and a surreal silence took over.

Recovering from her little shock, Mom took Josh by the hand and led him to the now empty table. Gesturing to sit down, she kept on holding his hand. Suspiciously eyeing her husband, she swallowed hard before talking to Scud in a hushed voice. "I'm worried about you. You know, people talk and word is that you hang out in that biker bar just outside of town. And that stuff you're smoking...i...i just don't want you to get involved in something bad. You've been doing so well and..." she really looked worried. Before could continue, Dad jumped in "Face it, woman, your offspring is long but beyond 'something bad'. Has been ever since he was 14 and you know it. No need to come up with excuses, son, we know. But don't you dare coming to us for money for your shit. Shoot yourself to high heavens, for all I care" And with a dismissive wave of his hand, his involvement in this conversation was over again. For now.

Looking scared, Mom lowered her voice. "Don't listen to him" she put a little pressure to her hand still holding his. "All I am saying is, please be careful. I don't know your friends aside from Nick but..." "Friend, alright" Dad barked an evil laughter, making it clear that he was listening carefully. "Why his parents never put a hold on this so called 'friendship' is beyond me. They don't seem to care if their son spreads diseases with his behavior" Ah yes, this again. Of course, since Scud never had introduced and of his girlfriends, he had to be gay. Logical assumption. True. Leaning in further, Mom now looked worried. The drawl in Dad's speech pattern pointed to a bottle in his lap, not visible from where Scud and Mom sat. "Just be careful. There's strange things happening in town. I don't want you getting into trouble" "He IS trouble, wife! Unbelievable that this is really my offspring. Are you sure you didn't spread your legs for that hobo we met during our honeymoon. You remember, the one you gave a dollar?" Now Scud had enough He stood up,putting his hands into his sides "That's enough, Dad! Tell me down as much as you like but don't insult the woman who stayed with you even after you became an insufferable asshole!"

Next thing Scud knew was stumbling down the stairs leading away from the porch. His jaw hurt and he faintly registered the door being shut with a huge bang behind him. To sum it up, it hadn't been a too bad evening. Dad had called him worse. Fag, disappointment, loser, wanker, useless waste of space. Oh yes, all those nice things. He got into his car and without even knowing, he drove straight to the infamous bar his dad had just mentioned. The people there accepted him, the ladies loved him. It was more his home than the house he just left might ever had been. A warm feeling floated through his veins as soon as he got out of his car and walked towards the entrance. Light in dim light, the wooden exterior made him feel welcome. It was more than just a bar, though. Once through the door, you could decide whether to walk straight ahead into the real bar, with a pool table and a few other games, round tables and comfortable chairs, rock music playing in the background. Or you could take a left, down the stairs and have a little lapdance. Sure, that stripping was kinda illegal but the ladies were fine ones and the guys usually stuck to the rules. No touching, just watching. Scud didn't feel like that. Yet. He went for the bar and got himself a stool. Gesturing with two fingers, Ben the bartender knew exactly what Scud wanted and got him a glass of whiskey.


	3. Fallen 1

Around his third drink, he rolled himself a joint while laughing and chattering with the dudes around him. Nick was there too. It felt nice after this crappy start of an evening. Eventually, they took over the pool table and of course, money was involved. Nick hesitated "Come on, pal! Look at the money, if you win you could buy yourself a nice view" Relaxed and happy, Scud teased his friend, knowing very well that he was the shy kind. "I don't need this money for that!" Nick flushed. "No? So let's go!" putting the cue down, Scud made an inviting gesture with both hands before taking his J outta his mouth again. "Scud, no. Let's just play, ok?" Clearly taken aback and a little disturbed by the thought of having a pretty woman dancing for him, Nick hurried to start the game. The more or less menacing looking fellas around laughed. Big D, a voluminous biker in a leather jacket, torn jeans, dirty boots with a bald head and an interestingly shaved beard clapped Nick on the shoulder "No worries, lil Nicky! There's more than just one female down there daunting even an old guy like me" He rumbled a laughter around a cigar. "True that, brother! Those ladies gonna be the death of mine" another voice chimed in. ""To the death of of us all!" "To the ladies" everybody raised their glasses and the few women in the bar applauded.

It had gotten late. The music was now louder and Scud was in a nice state of semi-drunk and slightly high. Life was good. Playing a game of cards for a pizza, he laughed and bantered around. His shadow for tonight, a tiny looking girl dressed in all black, slightly gothic looking, sat half behind half next to him, a hand on his knee, trying to get closer. Beth was her name and Scud was tempted to take her home. But not just yet. This game was going to well. He was in the process of winning when suddenly the door burst open and a group of police officers came in. Immediately, everything and everybody went still. "Excuse us, ladies and gentlemen, we need your help. An hour ago, there was an incident in a club not far from here and we are looking for witnesses. If you'd be so kind to give us a moment of your time" The officers spread out and after a while, they reached Scud's table. "You've been here for some time now, I take it?" The officer measured the table and got an affirmative. "Ok, means non of you could have been at the Black Moon. But maybe you have seen one of those people..." All alarms in Scud's head went off. "Black Moon? My sister wanted to go there tonight! What happened?" He was up from the chair, leaning over the table, closer to the officer. "Anybody hurt? Tell me!" "Yes, a few people got hurt. That's all I can say for now. I don't have names but..." Scud didn't hear the rest. He got his jacket, dumped some money on the table and all but ran out.

There was no way he got close to the club, the police had raised a rather large perimeter around it but he was able to gather some info. People had gotten hurt. Some even died. Rumors said some freaks had gone nuts and killed the people for their blood. Some kind of satanic ritual. A hobo on the sidewalk even went so far to say that they drank the blood. To Scud, it all sounded like some druggies lost it. Chewing on his lower lip, he rubbed his hands together, the smoke in the one hand almost forgotten. It was now almost two hours after the incident. Chances were that Lacey was home already. If she wasn't among the victims. His heart went cold at the thought of it. Pedal to the metal, he speed home. The police was busy with other things tonight.

Around four in the morning, he was back where his evening had started. The fear and the cold of night had sobered him up. Scrambling out of the car, he saw light in the upper floor! Lacey! Relief flooded through him but he still ran towards the door and knocked frantic. Usually, even in the middle of the night, his mom was quick to answer to the door. But now, even after the second time knocking, nothing. "MOM? Lacey?" Scud called out. Nothing. He tried the knob and was surprised to find it open. Mom locked it during the night. Opening the door, he went inside. "Lace? Mom?" Still no answer. The TV in the living room was still on. Yeah, probably dad, having fallen asleep. "Dad?" Yup, he saw the top of his fathers head in the chair. But no reaction. Something tingled in is nose. What was that? Metal? Confused, he took up his pace "Dad, what's going on?" He reached his father and touched his shoulder before he went around the chair and rebound.

His mind took forever to grasp what he saw. Blood. All over his father. His throat, gashed. Mauled. Ripped open. The right words for what he saw wouldn't come up. "Josh?" Slowly but surely, he started to recover, realizing he had his back to the wall. Shallow breath and cold sweat. "Josh?" The voice called again. In a burst, he ran upstairs "MOM LACEY!" he tripped on his way up, almost falling on his face. His hair hung into his eyes but even if that hadn't been the case, somehow he didn't see his sister standing in the hallway before he ran straight into her. Grabbing her shoulders, he spoke fast "Oh god, you're ok. What happened where is mom?!" Her tiny hands grabbed onto him and shook him hard "Josh, calm down! Look at me. It's gonna be alright."

His vision cleared and now he saw her. She was glowing, utterly calm. And covered in blood. His eyes widened in shock. "It's gonna be alright, dearest brother" she whispered and smiled. The teeth she exposed weren't those she had been born with.

Waking up in a start, he sat up, his weapon still in his hand, like when he had fallen asleep. His chest was cold with sweat, his hair damp. Scanning around the illuminated room hastily, he saw he was alone. Door still closed, windows still covered. Alone. With a painful grunt, he let himself fall back to his make shift bed, consisting out of a roll mat and a sleeping bag. Reaching with his free left hand, get got one of his pre-rolled joints and lit it. Glancing over at his stash, he knew he had to do something. He was burning through this stuff way to fast and his money was running out. Two weeks after...he still couldn't bare to think it. Not without being stoned. He inhaled hastily, rubbing his forehead. The calm of the drug flooded him and with his mind now able to drift, he didn't realize he was chewing the inside of his cheek again. His family was dead. Killed. Murdered by creatures that shouldn't exist. Raising his right hand before his eyes, he measure the wooden stake. But they did. The myths were true. Vampires were real. And it scared him to death.

Kinda. The struggle with his sister in his home had been brief but painful. Having caught a quick glance inside his parents bedroom, he had seen his mother. Dead. And Lacey was the killer. Trying to attack him, both of them had taken a tumble down the stairs. The wooden handrail had broken and out of a reflex, Scud had put a piece of wood straight through her chest. So he was a killer too. He had killed his sister. Or had he? How much of his sister had been left? Had she still been the sweet little girl he had known? How many where there? Where did they come from? What could he do?

The joint long but smoked, he fell asleep again, giving in to the nightmares haunting him, the stake still in his hand. Outside, the sun was about to set.


	4. Fallen 2

It was night when Scud finally climbed out of the cellar, his back-pack stuffed to the brink of exploding. At least he had some food left in there. The next bus station was just a few blocks away and when he came there, a quick look-over the boards made him decide to take a ride to the cost. Maine was as good as any place these days. And when he got there, he'd have to find a job. He was running out of money. Buying a ticket, he sat down outside on a bank, waiting. The stake hidden in the sleeve of his wide coat gave him a false safety.

Once you knew what was out there, once you knew what to look for, you saw it. Or maybe you just got a big case of butt-willies caused by paranoia. Fidgeting to get a granola bar out of his pocket, his eyes roamed around. Unless they opened their mouth, it was hard to tell who was a vampire. He had to know more. But there were so many different myths and stories out there, how the fuck was he supposed to know what was real? And he didn't have the guts to try it out by himself. At least not in hand to hand combat.

He smiled a that thought. To any passerby, the expression on Scud's face would only give away that he just thought of something pleasant. Grinning to himself, rubbing his upper lip, eyebrows up, he was sure he could find a way to get around his problem.

His bus came and he hopped on. Somehow he found himself unable to travel during daylight these days, which was a plus when wanting to get an empty seat in a bus. It kinda sucked when it came to finding a job though. He had to find a way. There was only two other passengers in the bus with him. And old lady, who had fallen asleep basically before she sat and young woman, maybe around her twenties. Hopefully around her twenties.

Mentally slapping himself for that thought, he tried to look away. But damn, the cleavage was a magnet and he was just a man. Shifting in his seat, he tried to get his attention away from her and started to watch the world flying by outside. Which was rather dull. After a while, he got his notepad out and started sketching. His thoughts from before kept him busy now. So busy in fact, the didn't notice when she came over.

"Hey" Startled, his hand made a jerk and a line went all the way over the paper. She chuckled "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Mind if I sit here? I'm kinda bored and thought maybe you wanna talk?" She pointed at the seat on the other side. Shaking his head to snap outta it, he quickly said yes. "I'm Tracy" "Scud" Frowning she inquired "That's a nickname, right?" Giving her a lopsided grin, he leaned over a little "Don't tell anyone" "Cross my heart. So, Maine, huh? What's there for you?"

Her blond hair was just long enough to reach her shoulders and the way she now sat there, with her legs partially beneath her, her curves showed of very nicely. He shrugged "Will see when I get there. Maybe you?" He winked, making sure she got the joke. Eyeing him from the corner of her eyes, she mocked "The devil told you! But yeah, going to visit my grandparents. Maybe go to college there. Dunno yet."

"Maine has a college?" Itching for a smoke, Scud chewed his lip instead, leaning back relaxed. "Maine has a lot of things" Saying nothing, he just looked her over. "Nah, you're a run away." Her eyes showed a surprise and her mouth worked without words coming out. "Your boots are glued together by tape and hope. Your clothes are beyond needing a wash and that bag...what's in there? Nothing much. Leaves two options: hooker or run-away. But even with that impressive cleavage I don't take you for a hooker"

He winked. Took her a few seconds to gather her wits "Ok. You got me. But you're wrong with the last part" She leaned over, into the little walk space of the bus, showing her boobies real good. "Guess you just went for run-away to be nice" Batting her eyes in a suggestive way, she let fall all pretense. Snorting, he lifted his hands in a disarming gesture. "Hey, didn't wanna be rude. Gotta tell ya, tho, talk is all ya get from me" "Shame. You're missing out on some serious fun" "Don't I know it" But she turned towards the window anyway and so he went back to his sketches.


	5. Fallen 3

"15 Minutes!" The busdrivers yell woke him up and he dropped his pen. Break time. Great and he had fallen asleep. Looking around he saw Tracy waking up as well. Grandma didn't. Nature called anyway so he got up and went for the exit, taking is backpack with him. The pen was already forgotten. Finding the outside dry, yet windy, he took a deep breath. Yeah, he definitely was closer to the north now. Aiming for the rest rooms, his eyes took in his surroundings. Paranoia was biting him again. The old bum on the bench over there. Or the owner of the diner next to the rest rooms, half asleep on a table. Anyone could be one of them. Entering the men's room, he decided against a booth. That way, he'd see who was coming in cos if movies told you anything it was this. Once you are in a bathroom booth, you are done. Still, the fine hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he felt uneasy. Probably winning all fast pissing-contests of the world, he was on his way out in the blink of an eye and took a step outside just to bump into Tracy. "Woah! Damn, woman. You ok?" "Sure, sugar"

Posture, gestures, facial expression. Right. She wasn't aiming for the ladies room. Stepping real close, she pushed herself against him. "Look" her hand went to his chest, stroking him gently "I don't want your money, I promise. Girl needs some company sometimes. Please?" Scud felt her rising to her toes, her face getting closer to his. Her boobs pressed against his chest, a leg very close to his crotch. Man, she knew what she was doing. Of course his body responded and he felt heat rising. Despite all that, he stepped back. "Sorry, sweetheart. I really can't. But i'm sure you'll find some company" She pursued "Oh yeah? Who? The guy in the diner? Not my type. But you..." Again she invaded his personal space and he would have backed away some more but after another step, he hit the wall. Great, just great. "Trust me, i'm not your type. And you are most definitely not mine" He pushed her away and was sure of it. "Am I not pretty? Am I not making your blood run hot?" She sounded like a cat on the hunt for a mouse. Only, he wasn't a mouse. "Sure you do. But for the wrong reasons. And there's another problem" Now he took a step towards her "And what's that, sweet Scud? Misses at home?" She purred. She actually purred. "Nope. But your blood isn't exactly boiling, darling"

And with what he hoped to be a swift movement, he went for her heart. But she was faster and he left a dent in the the concrete wall. Shaking his head, making his bangs fly, he saw her jumping for him and raised his hands to cover his head. The scream she let out was surprisingly girlish for a vamp. That thought went through his mind before it came to him that it wasn't the vampire screaming.

Luck was with the idiots again. Having totally forgotten about the stake in his hand, he was surprised when she yelped and turned to ash. Somehow she jumped right into it. Breathing hard and uneven, the bile rose from beyond his breastbone and for no good reason at all, he managed to get back into the rest room just in time.


	6. Down 1

Maine had been a blast. Literally. Because Scud had almost been blasted to oblivion there. Sitting in a corner between two huge containers on a freight-ship to Europe, a ciggi between his lips, he rubbed his chin, lost in thoughts and memories. A few weeks of roaming the streets in main had gotten him a job in a repair shop again. He was good at that, after all. And even better, the owner was an old man, widower, and had a spare room left. So a bed and doors where available. And Mr Benson didn't mind Scud working during the nights.

Sometimes, Scud actually HAD worked during the nights. Usually he did something else. Reading. Gather info on the streets. Watching. And most importantly, trying to find a way to protect himself. Increasing paranoia had made him a nocturnal creature and he needed something to fight for himself to find some sleep even in daylight. But info was scarces, at least the real bits. Separating the truth from the myth was really difficult and he was not even thinking about just going out and try shit. Not without knowing if it really worked. Just imagine he went outside with the garlic-dispenser he had just drawn on paper, facing a suckhead and it didn't work? Nope, no deal.

He was so caught up that he didn't notice the figure creeping up behind him. "Ya know, Josh, garlic actually works. But not as ya would imagine" Mr Benson, scruffy-looking, in a cotton undershirt and old sweatpants with a cigar between his fingers, hair stretching in ever direction, stood there right behind him, examining the work with great interest. "But they're a lot harder to kill, ya know" While Scud looked startled, Mr Benson pushed past him, going through the papers and books. The former was so confused and stunned, lost his wits. The latter showed that his good eye for detail wasn't limited to cars only so he asked the former a lot of questions which led to the latter babbling like a madman again. The latter was delighted by the former to open up about all of this while the former, somewhere in his mind, was totally amazed to find a friend in combat in the latter.

Some time after the sun had gone up, both men were working on two cars in the little garage, neither having spoken another word of the incident during the night. They had talked shop about vampires and the myths and how to kill them. It dawned to Scud that the most important question had eluded him so far. "Mr Benson, how do you know 'bout all this shit anyway?" Covered in oil, the old men looked a little like Doc from "Back to the future" "Lost my wife to 'em" Taking a long drag from his smoke, Scud just nodded, his fringes falling over the bandana he wore. Even thought these words reminded him of his own loss, he went over to the work bench with a slight jump in his walk.

"Saw it in ya eyes when ya came lookin' for work. Folks who have seen 'em have it in their eyes. Ya'll see." Mr Benson mumbled behind him.

Three nights later, they went out together. Both armed and ready. Stakes, silver nitrate, garlic in various forms, a simple gun. It seemed like Mr Benson had just been waiting for this.

Waiting for his revenge.

He was positively glowing with anticipation and the smirk on his face revealed the determination of a far younger man. The expression in his eyes worried Scud, though. If suicidal had a look, this was it.

Strolling the dark streets of Portland, close to the ocean at night, looking for vampires to try and kill was probably just that:

a suicide mission


	7. Down 2

Now, in the after-math, three months later, on that ship, sitting in the darkness, cold and alone, running out of ciggis, feeling pus leaking from under bandages, he knew it had been just that: a suicide mission. And not just for Mr Benson. No. Secretly, yet totally out in the open, Scud had gone looking for death himself. Or at least a dark part of himself. This dark part had taken over, silently and without being noticed. Had lead his way, cleared the path and controlled his every step. Now, he knew how wrong it had been. And he was happy to sit here in the corner, with almost nothing left but his own life. Yes, his family was gone. No way of going back home. The house ruling Portland had noticed the vendetta they had been on. At least they had been somewhat successful in that way.

After a long time running up and down the streets at night, trying to find the suckers, they finally got a lead from an old homeless dude. For a bottle of cheap booze he told them what turned out to be all true. About vampire glyphs, safehouses. With that knowledge, tracking them had become easy. And with careful preparation, Mr Benson and Scud had worked out a plan to get one. Luring the guy into a trap turned out to be easier than they had anticipated.

Yet finding weapons that actually worked had turned out to be difficult. The myths were to tangled to find out the truth without trying. And trying is what gets you killed, Yoda knew that before. Do or do not. And Scud did. While garlic and silver nitrate mixed in fluent form and put into a dispenser worked fine for getting the first victim down and distracted, a stake right to the heart made them explode! Both, Scud and Mr Benson, were shocked at first. The vampire seemed to have burnt out from the inside, in a bright red flame and turned to ash.

Mr Benson had distracted the guy, playing the innocent victim. A cut on his hand had made sure the attraction was instant. Fast-food.

So while he backed up into the alley, the vampire had followed. His back to a wall, all covered in shadows now, Mr Benson had let the vampire come as close as possible without being bitten, he pulled the dispenser out and sprayed the liquid straight into the other guys face. He howled in pain, his skin starting to fume and peel off, his eyes turning black. The screeching sounds vibrated back and forth in the alley, chilling Scud to the bones. His hand holding the stake was shaking like crazy, sweat was draining his shirt and rolling down his spine. In the cold air of Maine, he felt like he froze over. But only his body, his mind was racing and on fire.

While the vampire stumbled backwards, he urged his body to move forward. He moved through a cloud of his own breath, realizing that his hand raised would do him no good. It would be better to stake the fucker from below, or rather in a forward movement. The current position of his arm was better suited for a head-blow. And he had no intention of that. The heart was his goal.

So he turned his body sideways,and while the suckhead stumbled further back, he swung his arm and launched the stake right between his opponents rips. Obviously, he hit home. And the thing went on fire and turned to ash like already explained. So, this had been the first vampire they had killed. It had been mere seconds but it felt like slow-motion. Now, both men stood in the alley, heavily panting, eyes locked on the pile of ash.

"Whoa" Scud was able to articulate his emotions. "Yeah" Mr Benson replied.

Of course, this shouldn't have been the last one.

So they went from one vampire to another, improving their technique. It seemed to get easier with each kill. But wait, kill? Could you call it killing when those things were dead already? Debates like that kept the two man busy during the short days in which they also tried to do their jobs. But roaming the streets at night left a mark and so Mr Benson hired another guy for the "day-shift". They had enough to do and the kid worked well. Ok, after Scud gave him a how-to. But yeah, at least THIS was going well.

For a few weeks of going for just one suckhead at the time, they played it safe. But of course they wanted to go bigger. So when they found out about a so called "blood-party", both men went crazy with ideas.

"Look, Mr. B, the safest way to do this shit..." "Who wants to play safe, boy?! Let's go in an' shot the livin' shit outta the undead. Harhar!" A wild cough shook Mr Benson and Scud had to small at that rather bad joke. But the old man had a point. Still..."And get killed ourselfs? Nah, man, nah! Here, I'll show you what the Scudster can do. If you wanna get your ass drained after that, fine"

The plan was as simple as it was brilliant. Getting a highly concentrated mix of bye-bye-dentical into the water-sprinkler system, kill the most of them and finish of the rest. Technical trouble arose while they were scouting out the old building. The part where they had to get the stuff in was of course the same the suckers used to pump the blood in. And that was well guarded. "And how do we get it in now, huh, boy? Smart plans, my ass" Mr Benson muttered and rumbled half the way back when Scud suddenly froze mid-step.

Brows drawn together in a thoughtful frown, Mr Benson was just waiting for Scud to accidentally chew of his whole lip. After a minute or two, Scud's hand came up from inside his pocket, slowly grabbed the ciggi behind his ear between two fingers and rubbed his lips before putting the casket nail there.

"We need to get it into the blood before it arrives at the party-house. And for doing that, we gotta come up with something not so smelly." Truth to be told, the current mix reeked of garlic and worse to the high heavens. Scud's nervous system thanked him for those regular assaults with the always present smell of it whereever he went. "Mhh." Mr Benson mumbled under his breath while Scud took up the pace. Something was nagging in the back of his mind. If only he could put his finger on it. Something he had been reading about. Or had it been a story from someone? Damn it to hell and back, he couldn't put it together.

So for the next two days he constantly tried to get whatever idea it was while Mr B went and stocked up the supply of guns and ammo. And dude, what a supply! Scud expected to find a rocket-launcher amongst all that stuff. "Delay in shippin' " Mr Benson commented and Scud almost choked on a donut before he saw the cheeky twinkle in the old mans eye. "Yo man, don't do this to me" Scud lamented but of course they both laughed.

It hit Scud when he had an accident with a bottle of jack. Or two. Anyway, he managed to cut himself on a piece of paper and the fact the the blood came squirting out of this small wound like a fountain made him jump and scream "GOTCHA!" The loud yell even woke Mr Benson who only saw a flash of red and denim run by. When he finally caught up to Scud, the younger man was already head over hells in books and the internet. "EDTA" he had written all over the wall covered with papers.

It was long after dark and long after the booze had burnt out of his system already again before Scud came back to reality. The fact that he finished his plan accumulated with a case of no more smokes left drew him into daylight. And that hurt his eyes. "'comin' a suckhead myself.." he thought to himself as he walked down the streets now filled with people. How different the city seemed to be during day. He almost had forgotten. Also, the smell of the nearby ocean was almost completely covered by the stench of civilization. Mentally slapping himself for these kind of thoughts, he went on and got not just smokes and weed, but food and his most important delivery EVER: EDTA. For those of you not knowing: it is, amongst other things, an anticoagulant. And it would get the suckheads dead for good. All he had left to do was find out one thing: where was the blood coming from.


End file.
